Investigating vitamin D status following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and its relationship with long coronavirus disease

Abstract

Objective
Health-care systems are facing a brand new difficulty as a result of post-COVID-19 syndrome. The relationship between long COVID and vitamin d.(25OHD levels was not extensively studied. Also, to our knowledge, no study evaluated vit d.(25OHD) levels and their relation to long COVID in the long-term period [3–6 months) after COVID infection. This study aims to evaluate vit d.(25OHD) levels post-COVID-19 infection and its relation to persistent symptoms in long-term COVID.


Patients and methods
A cross-sectional, single-center study involving 84 patients who were recruited during the period from December 2021 to May 2022, during the previous 6 months after the COVID-19 sickness. Complete history, clinical examination, and laboratory analysis [C-reactive protein, D-dimer, total leukocyte count, lymphocyte count. Serum vit d.(25OHD), and HRCT chest were performed.


Results
Of the patients, 44% had insufficient levels [20–30 ng/dL), 36% had deficient vitamin D levels [<20 ng/dL), and only 19% reported normal levels. In the examined groups, there was no association between vitamin d.(25OHD) levels and post-COVID-19 symptoms.


Conclusion
The study population had a high rate of vit d.(25OHD) insufficiency; however, no association was found between vit d.(25OHD) level and post-COVID-19 symptoms. The relation between long COVID-19 pathophysiology and the immune system is more complicated. More research is required to determine whether vit d.(25OHD) may have a part in long-term COVID-19.